1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a docking station for portable computers and, more specifically, to a docking station that prevents damage to both the portable computer and the docking station by preventing a user from incorrectly disengaging a portable computer from a docking station.
2. Background Art
The ease of traveling with portable computers, e.g. portable computers, has been one of the factors in their increasing popularity. A portable computer is often constructed with a liquid crystal display hingedly attached to the main body of the computer. The display panel also forms a cover for the keyboard, that is built onto the main body. Various ports are located along the rear side of the main body for attaching various input or output devices. However, the amount of time necessary to connect and disconnect a portable computer from peripheral devices is often inconvenient when a user is in a rush. To simplify the connection of portable computer computers to peripheral devices, a docking station is used to allow the portable computer to quickly connect and disconnect to a host of peripheral devices. The connection between the portable computer and the docking station is important for the effective use of the portable computer. Different techniques for connecting a portable computer to a docking station are shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,580,182 to Lin entitled Computer Peripheral Engagement/Disengagement Mechanism, U.S. Pat. No. 5,535,093 to Noguchi entitled Portable Computer Docking Device Having a First Rotatable Connector and a Second Connectoi, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,310,358 to Johnson entitled Computer Docking Sypole. I have observed, however, that the docking stations of the contemporary art are easily damaged when the front of the portable computer is lifted off of the docking station while disengaging the portable computer from the docking station. This causes the portable computer to pivot around the rear side of its housing and can cause damage to either of the interface ports that are located on either the rear side of the portable computer or on the docking station.
As such, I believe that it may be possible to improve on the contemporary art by providing a docking station that secures the bottom of a portable computer to the docking station, that is simple to construct, that is economical to produce, that prevents the incorrect disengagement of the portable computer from the docking station, and that extends the usable lifespan of the portable computer.